The Strong African American Families Program: Translating Research Into Prevention Programming

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00713.x
• Publication Date: 2004-05-10T16:22:32Z
• Authors: Gene H. Brody; Velma McBride Murry; Meg Gerrard; Frederick X. Gibbons; Virginia Molgaard; Lily McNair; Anita C. Brown; Thomas A. Wills; Richard L. Spoth; Zupei Luo; Yi‐fu Chen; Eileen Neubaum‐Ca...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Rural Population; Alcohol Drinking; Parenting; 05 social sciences; Black or African American; Humans; Family; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Parent-Child Relations; Child; Psychological Theory; Program Evaluation; Sexual Abstinence

A randomized prevention trial contrasted families who took part in the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF), a preventive intervention for rural African American mothers and their 11‐year‐olds, with control families. SAAF is based on a contextual model positing that regulated, communicative parenting causes changes in factors protecting youths from early alcohol use and sexual activity. Parenting variables included involvement‐vigilance, racial socialization, communication about sex, and clear expectations for alcohol use. Youth protective factors included negative attitudes about early alcohol use and sexual activity, negative images of drinking youths, resistance efficacy, a goal‐directed future orientation, and acceptance of parental influence. Intervention‐induced changes in parenting mediated the effect of intervention group influences on changes in protective factors over a 7‐month period.